Mich. lowers requirements for English-proficiency test

The Michigan Department of Education has announced it will reduce the overall score students need to receive on an English-proficiency test after an earlier change made it more difficult for students to transition out of English learner status.(Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images file)

Grand Rapids — The Michigan Department of Education has announced it will reduce the overall score students need to receive on an English-proficiency test after an earlier change made it more difficult for students to transition out of English learner status.

MLive reports that educators and school districts in the state had expressed concern over the WIDA ACCESS test’s rigorous scoring system after less than 1 percent of Michigan students reached the minimum score during the 2016-17 school year.

Data from the department says typically between 13 and 15 percent of the state’s more than 97,000 English language learners receive an overall score high enough to transition.

In addition to a minimum score on the test, students must demonstrate proficiency on state reading assessments in order to transition.